The uncertainties over who qualify for Champions League football has us set up for a dramatic finish in Europe’s top five leagues.
La Liga
Valencia remain in the hunt for Champions League football after comprehensively defeating Huesca 6-2. Los Che lead 6-0 after just 51 minutes as Santi Mina and Rodrigo Moreno each scored a brace, helping their side jump to fifth with two games remaining.
Sevilla may have blown their chance to finish in the top four with a disappointing 3-0 home loss to Leganés. Two early goals from the away side deflated the home crowd, before the game was sealed with a third goal 10 minutes from time. Sevilla now sit in sixth, three points off the top four.
Above Valencia and Sevilla sit Getafe. They are the unlikeliest of teams to be occupying a top four spot, however, are just two games away from securing it. A 2-0 win over Girona has them three points clear in fourth spot with games against Barcelona and Villarreal to come.
Other results:
Levante 4-1 Rayo Vallecano
Espanyol 3-0 Atlético Madrid
Alavés 0-1 Real Sociedad
Celta Vigo 2-0 Barcelona
Eibar 1-0 Real Betis
Real Madrid 3-2 Villarreal
Real Valladolid 1-0 Athletic Bilbao
Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund’s title chances have taken a major blow yet again. Leading 2-0 at the break against Werder Bremen, BVB conceded two goals in five minutes to throw away a valuable two points. With two games remaining, Lucien Favre’s men are four points off top spot.
Bayern Munich took full advantage of their rivals’ failure, taking care of Hannover 3-1. Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka and Franck Ribéry each found the back of the net to send the Bavarians four points clear atop the standings. A seventh consecutive Bundesliga crown now appears more than likely.
Bayer Leverkusen have taken a massive scalp late in the season, defeating Frankfurt 6-1. The demolition sees Leverkusen jump to fifth on the table and on equal points with Frankfurt. Games against Schalke and Hertha await, while Frankfurt face Mainz and Bayern Munich.
Other results:
Mainz 3-3 RB Leipzig
Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-2 Hoffenheim
Hertha 3-1 Stuttgart
Wolfsburg 2-0 Nürnburg
Schalke 0-0 Augsburg
Freiburg 1-1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Premier League
Liverpool showed their resilience with a late win away to Newcastle. Locked at 2-2, the Reds found a way to win yet again, as Divock Origi popped up with an 86th minute header to steal the three points. Jurgen Klopp’s men will do battle with Wolves on the final day for their first Premier League title in 29 years.
Chelsea secured a top four finish thanks to a 3-0 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge. The away side had the better of the chances in the first half, however the Blues turned it on in the second. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain each scored to ensure qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Manchester United and Arsenal’s failure to secure three points drew a line through both their top four hopes. United drew 1-1 with bottom-placed Huddersfield, while the Gunners drew 1-1 with Brighton at home. It has summed up what has been a disappointing season for the Red Devils, while Arsenal’s can still be redeemed with success in the Europa League.
Other results:
Everton 2-0 Burnley
Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham
West Ham 3-0 Southampton
Wolves 1-0 Fulham
Cardiff 2-3 Crystal Palace
Manchester City 1-0 Leicester
Serie A
Atalanta are now firmly the favourites to clinch a top four spot after a convincing 3-1 win away to Lazio. The Nerazzurri conceded just 3 minutes in, however a dominant display from then on showed just how dangerous Gian Piero Gasperini’s side can be. Duván Zapata scored his 22nd goal of the season, taking him to second on the goal scoring charts behind Fabio Quagliarella.
Juventus and Torino shared the spoils in the Derby della Mole at Juventus Stadium. Sasa Lukic stunned the home crowd when he opened the scoring after 17 minutes, which had Torino on their way towards a rare derby win. As he so often does, Cristiano Ronaldo found a way to salvage something for his side, scoring a brilliant header to level the scores just six minutes from time. Champions League football is almost out of the question, however the Europa League is still a possibility for Torino.
Roma have suffered a blow to their season, drawing 1-1 away to Genoa. Stephen El Shaarawy broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute with a fantastic strike before Cristian Romero found an equaliser minutes later. Genoa remarkably had the chance to claim all three points, however Antonio Sanabria’s 96th minute spot kick was saved by Antonio Mirante.
Other results:
Chievo 0-4 SPAL
Udinese 0-0 Inter
Empoli 1-0 Fiorentina
Sassuolo 2-2 Frosinone
Parma 3-3 Sampdoria
Napoli 2-1 Cagliari
Milan 2-1 Bologna
Ligue 1
Lyon and Lille have played out a highly entertaining 2-2 draw at the Stade des Lumières. Lyon led early through Martin Terrier, however Lille’s resilience saw them overturn the deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the second-half. Léo Dubois found an equaliser for the home side, ensuring Lyon remain in third place.
St Etienne closed the gap on the top three with a 3-2 win away to Monaco. Gelson Martins put the home side ahead before three goals in 20 second-half minutes was enough for St Etienne to see out the win. They are now one point behind Lyon with three matches remaining.
Paris Saint-Germain failed to win for the fourth time in five Ligue 1 matches, drawing 1-1 with Nice. Neymar was able to cancel out Ignatius Ganago’s opener to level things up in the 60th minute, marking his first goal since returning from injury. Another spot kick was awarded to PSG in the dying moments which Edinson Cavani failed to convert, adding to the recent frustration of the home fans.
Other results:
Strasbourg 1-1 Marseille
Bordeaux 0-1 Angers
Guingamp 0-0 Caen
Reims 0-3 Nîmes
Montpellier 1-1 Amiens
Nantes 3-0 Dijon
Toulouse 2-2 Rennes
